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Pub Landlady 1 - 0 Premier League

Submitted by
catherine on Fri, 02/04/2011 - 00:00

As readers of my blog will know I’m not a huge football fan, but I am a European so I was delighted to hear that a UK pub landlady could be about to win a match against Sky Sports and the Premier League.
The case brought by Karen Murphy, landlady of The red, white and blue pub in Portsmouth, could make changes to the way Premiership games are shown, if the European Court of Justice rules in her favour.
Ms Murphy refused to pay the £480 per month subscription which Sky charge pubs to be able to show Premiership games. Instead she bought a package from Greek company Nova at just £118. The Football Association Premier League prosecuted Ms Murphy who was forced to pay £8,000 in fines and costs, but she has appealed to ECJ. Yesterday EU judge, Advocate General Juliane Kokott advised the court to find in favour of Ms Murphy saying that the the block breached EU laws.
If the court does indeed find in Ms Murphy’s favour it could have huge implications for the way films, music and sports are shown within the EU. Can they be licensed on a country-by-country basis or not?
We now have to wait for the court’s ruling but the advice of the advocates is usually followed.
Ms Murphy said “We are part of the European Union, we are a democracy, we have an entitlement for choice.”
The Premier League say a ruling in favour of Ms Murphy “would damage the interests of broadcasters and viewers of Premier League football across the EU.”
But why should Sky have the exclusive rights to show games in the UK? We are part of the European Union, surely savvy consumers have the right to shop around.
Good luck Ms Murphy, I say!